Mo Hua

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Mo Hua (莫华)
Gender	Male 26
Occupation/Role	University student; part-time restaurant worker 26 38
Affiliation	Sides with the police against Lu Yan’s criminal activities 40
Family	Mo Feng, his older brother and a police officer 21 37
Status	Deceased; dies during a hostage exchange 40
Portrayed by	Ye Qing in the in-universe television drama Darkness of Dawn 21
First Appearance	Named in the cast announcement in Chapter 21; first depicted in a filmed scene in Chapter 26 21 26

Background / History

Student Life and Meeting Lu Yan

Mo Hua attends university and works part-time at a restaurant. His older brother, Mo Feng, is a police officer whose assignments frequently leave him unreachable. Mo Hua worries about his safety, but accepts the absences as part of his work 26 37 38.

During a class karaoke outing, Mo Hua encounters Lu Yan outside the restroom. Irritated by the stranger’s flirtation and unwanted familiarity, he tries to leave. Lu Yan blocks his way, briefly touches his face, and slips a business card into his pocket before departing 26.

Friendship Built on Deception

Returning late from work, Mo Hua takes a shortcut toward his dormitory and encounters attackers who demand more than money. He fights back but is outnumbered. Lu Yan arrives to help and receives a knife wound; afterward, Mo Hua applies medicine to his injuries at the hospital 37 38.

Lu Yan asks for friendship as repayment. Mo Hua initially refuses because he distrusts wealthy young men and believes they inhabit different worlds. Lu Yan’s persistence, small gifts, practical guidance, and apparent respect for his boundaries eventually win him over. Mo Hua comes to regard him as an unusually close friend 37 38 39.

Kidnapping and Captivity

At Lu Yan’s birthday party, Mo Hua waits in a room away from the unfamiliar guests. A maid delivers noodles, after which he loses consciousness and wakes with his hands bound. When a captor demands that he call Lu Yan for ransom, Mo Hua denies their closeness and refuses to cooperate, even after being slapped 38.

Lu Yan’s arrival reveals that the kidnapping is his own operation. He approached Mo Hua to obtain leverage over Mo Feng, whose police work threatens an important criminal shipment. Lu Yan’s eldest brother later confirms that the first meeting and alley attack were staged, and that Mo Hua’s workplace also belongs to Lu Yan 39.

A maid secretly assists Mo Hua by providing information and a small knife. She explains that he was the first person to treat her with respect. Before leaving captivity, Mo Hua urges her to escape or seek protection through Mo Feng 39.

Hostage Exchange and Death

At the exchange, Lu Yan admits that he genuinely valued their friendship despite having engineered its beginning. Mo Hua acknowledges that their time together made him happy, but rejects the possibility of resuming their friendship while they remain on opposing sides 40.

Mo Hua prolongs a conversation with Mo Feng, then reveals that the shipment exchange is taking place at an abandoned factory north of the city. He stabs himself in the heart to prevent the criminals from continuing to use him as leverage. Hoping Lu Yan’s attachment will persuade him to return him to his brother, he asks to be sent back 40.

Gunfire breaks out, and Mo Hua dies as Mo Feng reaches him. His disclosure prevents the shipment from going through in full and contributes to intensified police pressure on the Lu family 40 46.

Appearance

• Attractive features: Lu Yan repeatedly comments on Mo Hua’s beauty and claims that his looks are a reason to seek his friendship 26 38.
• Youthful presence: His introduction brings a vibrant energy to Darkness of Dawn, contrasting with the drama’s police investigations 49.

Personality

Mo Hua is independent and direct about his boundaries. He rebuffs unwanted advances, initially refuses Lu Yan’s request for friendship, and openly expresses his distrust of wealthy young men. Once Lu Yan earns his confidence, however, Mo Hua invests sincerely in their relationship 26 38 39.

His loyalty extends beyond personal attachment. He refuses to betray Lu Yan under the supposed ransom demand, remains considerate toward the maid during captivity, and takes pride in Mo Feng’s work. Although frightened by his kidnapping and described by his brother as someone who has always feared pain, he ultimately accepts a fatal risk rather than let his rescue enable a criminal shipment 38 39 40.

The maid’s kindness sustains his belief that good people still outnumber bad ones, even after Lu Yan’s betrayal 39.

Abilities & Skills

Basic Martial Arts

• Knows some martial arts because his older brother is a police officer 37.
• Resists the alley attackers rather than submitting to their demands 37.
• Has neglected his training and cannot overcome multiple opponents alone 37.

Observation and Improvisation

• Infers that Lu Yan obtained confidential information about him through a police-station mole; Lu Yan does not verbally confirm the deduction 39.
• Identifies the maid as the source of a secret note through her access to his room and its wording 39.
• Conceals her knife until the hostage exchange and discloses the shipment’s location to Mo Feng 39 40.

Equipment / Items

• Lu Yan’s business card — Slipped into his pocket during their first encounter 26.
• Small knife — Supplied secretly by the maid; used to inflict the fatal wound during the exchange 39 40.

Relationships

• Mo Feng — Older brother and personal hero. Mo Hua admires his record of catching criminals and chooses to protect his work rather than remain a hostage. Mo Feng is devastated by his death and blames himself for failing to save him 37 39 40.
• Lu Yan — Friend, apparent rescuer, and eventual captor. Their friendship begins as a calculated scheme but becomes emotionally genuine for Lu Yan. His betrayal does not erase Mo Hua’s happy memories, though Mo Hua refuses reconciliation on those terms 38 39 40 46.
• Unnamed maid — Covert ally during captivity. His respectful treatment motivates her to help him, and he reciprocates by urging her to seek safety 39.
• Wang Laosan — Captor who threatens retaliation against Mo Hua for Mo Feng’s actions. Lu Yan prevents him from taking Mo Hua by invoking control over their business deal 39.

Story Role and Reception

• Central to the criminal plot: Lu Yan uses Mo Hua to pressure Mo Feng, while Mo Hua’s final disclosure disrupts the shipment 39 40 46.
• Lasting effect on the survivors: His death leaves Mo Feng grieving and Lu Yan emotionally numb. Lu Yan later acknowledges his genuine feelings and regret before dying by suicide in custody 40 46.
• Grave flowers: Winter jasmine appears at his grave, representing hope and vitality. Mo Feng later identifies Lu Yan as the person secretly leaving flowers 41 46.
• Audience response: His chemistry with Lu Yan attracts viewers and makes their first meeting trend online. The kidnapping shocks fans, while affection for Mo Hua’s tragic storyline helps raise Ye Qing’s popularity 49 50.
• Relationship interpretation: At a promotional event, Gu Ze describes Lu Yan’s feelings as primarily friendship, while explicitly allowing other interpretations 50.

Notable Quotes

“The next time we meet, we’ll be enemies.” 40

“Lu Yan, if there’s a next life, I think we’ll be good friends. It’s a shame we can’t be friends in this one.” 40

“One person in exchange for many. It’s worth it.” 40